The guys are in cains but they look lifeless. It seems like Steven Klein treat photo subjects as still "things"; not human.
The guys look like "statue" as you can see and it seems like thry go to boot camp. you can see the sadness and emptiness in theur faces.
Wgat a disappoitmenr! Also, all the sexy parts are NOT allowed.

I have purchased all the DVD's in this series and this 2008 edition is a big disappointment!! By far the best is 2007 which is sold out and now commanding high prices online. I much prefer B&W to color and also feel a stadium setting or abandoned buildings works best, even if it might be hard to create something different each year. Each edition has progressively shown more full frontal nudity and I was expectiong more this year but there is absolutely NO FULL FRONTAL NUDITY, a big mistake if the producers were expecting increasing sales. Also, many of the models look tired, bored, and uncomfortable...although seeing many of the hot models aging over the years of the series is interesting. Now the big question for me is whether I will buy the 2009 edition.

"Dieux du Stade: Making of the Calendar, 2008"

Beautiful but Empty Men

Amos Lassen

For the last three years the men who play French soccer have blessed us with a new calendar and then shortly afterwards a film of the making of the calendar is released. This year's video is far below what we have had in the previous two years. Granted the men are beautiful to look at but that is about all I can say about them. They show no animation and there is little interchange between them and each other and between the models and those involved in taking the pictures, putting their make-up on, etc.
There is no question that the guys are handsome and perfectly groomed. However, is it rare to see beautiful, perfectly groomed men these days?
This year the film is in color and the photography took place at a neo-classic villa with a lush garden which has marble statues. My point here is that the models become little more than additional statuary. The atmosphere is artificial and something seems to be missing. The scenes of the grooming and the make-up are much too long and entirely too elaborate making them seem like they just do not belong with the beautiful photography of the handsome men. In fact, some of the models look a bit annoyed at all the primping and waiting. There are several scenes of models with undergarments pulled down to reveal their rears and there is nothing sexy about a professional poser with his underwear bunched around his cheeks--they should either take it all the way off or wear it as it was meant to be. There is something sexy about a guy in underwear and there is something even sexier as he takes it off. There is nothing sexy about a guy walking around with his rear exposed above pulled down shorts, especially after you have watched it be posed that way.
As I said this is not the best of the "Stade" videos yet it is nice to see beautiful men with beautiful bodies. It is just a pity that there is nothing natural about the film.

As you know, this year's Dieux du Stade didn't make it to Amazon here in the States. So, if you order you will likely be getting the PAL version, and even with this hurdle, I do believe you will be getting a great feature.Having been a fan of this series for some time now, I can gladly say this "Making of..." is another great installment in the series. I would put in on par with the 2005 feature in terms of quality. Now, many disliked that one because of the change to all color, but to me color only enhances the gorgeous athletes on display. 2008's feature is also in color, fully, and gives more insight to some great and somtimes highly erotic poses. The theme is that of ancient Greek, presenting some poses and themes of those times. There are some athletes holding metal lightning bolts, posed as statues, draped in fur, and even put in some athletic poses. Such is the case with Julian Hans acting out some wrestling poses with another athlete (in next to nothing). Some familar faces from the past series show up and also contribute to the great feature (there are even some cuties behind the scenes as well). A lot of great backsides are shown off, and the bodies they belong to are wonderfully laid out, but if you still seek full frontal shots, well, by now you should know this series is not for you.The great feature of color and the many beautiful shots on location in front of, and featuring, beautiful scenery is enjoyable to watch and wondeful to take in. If you're a fan of this series, you definitely deserve to take a look at this one. Sometimes highly erotic shots with some great guys and great atmosphere deserve at least a look. Just be aware that the music went back to classical, but the music has never been that great in this series anyway.Whether or not this DVD warrants the marketplace price, I will leave up to you, but if you enjoyed 2005's like I did, you will certainly enjoy this feature; if not, you may want to think twice.2007's installment was definitely the best, but this one still shows with talent, beauty and style, this series can still keep it up =)

Dieux du Stade: Yes, the Gods of the Stadium are as handsome, and well-groomed as Pagan Gods. Where would Pagan Gods fit best? This time the production chose a neoclassic villa, with a beautiful garden decorated with marble statues among others.

About the video: This time it was shot in colors. The producers and the troupe have increased considerably in number. The quality of the video is above average. The athletes and their bodies are extremely beautiful, and well-shaped/toned. Unfortunately, the make-up/maquillage procedures are too long, too elaborate, and somehow ridiculous. But all in all, the athletes have gorgeous body, and often also very handsome faces.

I must admit that one's own expectations before watching the video shape also the personal perceptions about its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the overall quality of this 2008 edition. You will see lots of beautiful things, but do not expect heavy loads of full frontal nudity. I simply haven't seen it, and I bet you won't either!

Post Scriptum:

I have received the DVD as a present for my birthday at the end of October 2007. Since I had received it from France (the first copy), it still was in a Pal color version. I have had not had problems watching it.

I believe that the distribution's delays in the NTSC version are mainly due to post-production and (maybe) marketing issues. Among the many "Making of...." - this is probably the least fortunate edition. On one hand it might be because the producers seem to be running out of ideas on how to find and then create (an) appropriate setting(s). On the other hand, it may also be due to long waits, and some scenes that are slow and boring. Since this edition has lost quite of its peculiar "flair" and thrill -- it is conceivable that the producers did chose not to invest additional money on a product that hasn't been that successful so far. The 2007's edition has reached its peak, and in my opinion it has been the best so far. It will be difficult to create a better one, unless in the next edition we will be blessed by watching also the new entries players (younger, more fresh, and extremely sexy).

By any means, some of the other videos (with similar topics) on the market are still inferior to this 2008 Dieux du Stade edition. The greatest flaw of this 2008's video is its slight artificial atmosphere, and a lack of veracity. There are too many useless people around the sets: More like friends of the troupe or visitors. Plus, since most of the shooting takes place in the garden, some of the rugby-players look annoyed by the long waits, and the wind chills. However, even if sometimes it is artificial and slow, the show is still decent and viewable. Buy it only if you have technology that allows you to watch also PAL system colors. Otherwise, use the media center on your computer.

March 23, 2008